Binding Spring Love

Song Wan lowered her eyes: "Wan'er understands."

Jiang Xingjian felt relieved, as he was afraid that Song Wan would really abandon the manor and leave everything to Lin Jiayue.

With the matter of taking over the family affairs settled, only Lin Jiayue, apart from Song Wan, was very dissatisfied with the outcome.

She had many thoughts in her mind. If she helped Song Wan, wouldn't all the credit be attributed to Song Wan in the future?

Lin Jiayue lost interest after a moment's thought, but fortunately she knew she couldn't rush things and could only proceed slowly and carefully, step by step.

Thinking that she had been promoted from a lowly concubine to a noble concubine in just a few days, Lin Jiayue smiled, her eyes full of joy.

"I am busy with matters at home, so I will take my leave now."

After paying her respects to Madam Jiang and Mother Jiang, Song Wan left Fuhe Hall. Lin Jiayue watched her retreating figure and slightly curled her lips. Just as she was about to chase after her, Jiang Xingjian grabbed her arm.

As the two left Fuhetang, Lin Jiayue blinked and asked, "Why are you holding my hand?"

"All affairs within the manor are governed by established procedures, so you don't need to be busy on ordinary days. However, you will need to take good care of the shops outside the manor."

Jiang Xingjian pulled Lin Jiayue back, his face grave: "The principal bestowed by Consort Jiang is guaranteed to make a profit without any risk. Do you understand the importance of this?"

"Don't worry, how could I not know?"

Lin Jiayue raised an eyebrow and smiled, confidently hooking her arm around Jiang Xingjian's: "I've already decided what I'm going to do."

Do you know which type of person's money is the easiest to earn in this world?

"It's all about women and children, so I'm thinking of opening a cosmetics shop with all kinds of women's clothing and jewelry. Money will surely flow in like water."

Jiang Xingjian was slightly relieved upon hearing this: "As long as you have a plan in mind, that's fine. If you need anything, I can assign one or two stewards from the household office to you."

"Alright."

Although she also wanted to gain control of the Marquis's household, Consort Jiang's job was far more important than that of the Marquis's household, so Lin Jiayue devoted all her energy to making a living outside the mansion.

Even though Song Wanle wasn't around, she continued to handle various affairs of the manor as usual.

"Miss……"

Granny Zhao had just returned from the outer courtyard. Today she had visited the wife of the head of the estate that Song Wan had accompanied as part of her dowry.

Even though a woman is married, she still has some dowry items such as farms and shops that need to be managed, so there are stewards and maids who travel around to take care of these things.

"Is Granny back?"

Granny Zhao agreed and leaned forward to whisper, "Miss, the shop that Xiuyan Pavilion bought from the young master a few days ago."

"How much silver?"

Granny Zhao said, "Twelve thousand taels of silver."

"I don't know what's wrong with the capital lately. Ever since Miss asked the eldest young master to buy shops, shops in the capital have suddenly become scarce. Originally, four or five thousand taels could buy a decent shop, but now you can't even get into the main street."

"Are people still acquiring shops?"

"Well, I couldn't find out who it was, I only know that the owner's surname is Xiao."

Song Wan frowned slightly, momentarily unable to recall which family in the capital had the surname Xiao.

Unexpectedly, she took the box handed to her by Granny Zhao and casually flipped through the silver notes inside. Apart from the more than ten thousand taels from selling the shop, and the income from the estate, the total came to just over thirteen thousand taels.

"Wasn't this money meant for my brother?"

"The young master said that you should keep it yourself, Miss."

"The young master also said..."

Granny Zhao paused slightly: "The young master told Miss not to do such things in the future, as it would damage your relationship with your husband."

Song Wan smiled, but did not say anything.

She pulled out her dowry list and tapped it slightly on the three shops she had recently purchased: "Which one was sold?"

"The one in the south of the city."

"How could prices have risen so much in just half a month?"

Her shop only cost a little over four thousand taels of silver, yet its value tripled in just over ten days—it was truly bizarre.

Granny Zhao said, "I heard from Granny Lang that the shopkeeper surnamed Xiao spread the word the day after Miss took over the shop that he wanted to buy the shops in the capital at a high price. The shop that you brought with you as part of your dowry has now risen to six or seven thousand taels. I wonder who helped Miss out by some twist of fate."

"Originally, when Miss quietly closed her shop, some people guessed that the price of shops would rise. Then this old man surnamed Xiao made a big fuss about buying them at a high price. As a result, those who had shops dared not come out, fearing that the government might have some new moves."

"Now everyone in the capital is saying that the shop's price will skyrocket in the future. If it weren't for the fact that the young master was afraid that the Marquis's mansion would not be able to afford it if the price continued to rise, he would not have agreed to sell it."

Upon hearing this, Song Wan couldn't help but chuckle: "Brother, you feel sorry for me."

Granny Zhao sighed, "When the eldest young master heard that it was Consort Lin who wanted to buy the shop to start a business, he got so angry that..."

Granny Zhao was also furious at the chaos in the Marquis's mansion. If Jiang Xingjian hadn't been so bullying, she wouldn't have let her young lady take such a risk.

"If people find out that this shop came from Miss, it might cause some other trouble."

"Won't."

She believed in her brother.

Having earned eight thousand taels of silver in just half a month, Song Wan was in a very good mood. She gathered the silver notes and said, "Give this silver to my brother and tell him that I have something to trouble him with."

"In addition, besides the dowry shops originally provided by the manor, all the other shops we acquired should be sold off while prices are high."

"Miss, aren't you going to wait for the shop's price to rise again?"

After pondering for a moment, Song Wan shook her head, holding her pen: "If someone really wanted to close the shop, they wouldn't be making such a blatant announcement. It's as if this person is deliberately helping me."

"It's not a safe bet, and I don't have the capacity to manage so many shops, so I might as well sell them as soon as possible."

After thinking about it, Granny Zhao agreed with what her young mistress said, nodded, and after tidying up all the documents, she picked up the box and went out.

Hengzhi, grinding ink beside her, muttered to herself, "Consort Jiang gave Consort Lin five thousand taels of silver, while the Marquis's mansion can only afford a few tens of thousands. How could the master agree to give Consort Lin so much silver to buy a shop? Just one shop has cost so much; can this business even expand?"

Song Wan said, "We have to buy this shop whether we want to or not. It's still unknown whether Lin Jiayue's business will be as profitable as she says, but the value of the shop will not change. Jiang Xingjian will definitely give this shop to Consort Jiang in the future."

"If Lin Jiayue can earn money, that's fine; if she can't, this is the money she has to save her life."

Upon hearing this, Hengzhi felt a surge of anger.

Her young lady went to great lengths to save the Marquis's mansion those thirty or fifty taels of silver, but Jiang Xingjian spent a fortune to clean up the mess and pave the way for Lin Jiayue's future. How could anyone not be angry?

"Miss……"

"Um?"

Song Wan looked up and saw Hengzhi's bright eyes: "Aunt Lin wants to open a rouge shop, right? Why don't you open a rouge shop too, Miss, and make it impossible for her to continue in the capital? Since she dares to make any boastful promises, let her taste the bitter fruit of her overstatement."

Song Wan smiled upon hearing this: "Silly Hengzhi, why go to such trouble?"